


After working hours

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:28:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21900202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: First meetings are always hard and interesting
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Kudos: 25





	After working hours

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!   
> It’s Christmas break! Finally! That means lots of sleep and time to write (kind of, sort of, I think, I hope). We’re still in the other timeline, and I’m still not sure how to go around the whole ‘series’ thing, but it’s pretty obvious that it’s going to be a series :D   
> Enjoy! <3

His office was as quiet as it could have been at that time of the day. Theoretically, his shift was over an hour ago, but being a doctor meant that his work never really stopped. That’s why he was there, buried in paperwork, when he could have been at home, with Jenner, much more comfortable than his office chair could ever be. Two empty cups where coffee used to be were sitting next to his phone on his desk, along with his calendar. He debated whether he should stand up and get himself a third cup when the door to his office flew open. Too surprised to react, he watched as his intruder walked over to him, sat down on the edge of his desk and smiled at him.

“Get up, Ramsey, we’re going out.” Claire spoke up, reaching with her hand to brush a stray lock of his hair away from his face. Her touch lingered on his cheek and he leaned into it, the corners of his lips rising slightly.

“Next time you pull off a stunt like that, Herondale, I’ll drive you up against the wall.” He warned, their eyes meeting. Playful specks flickered in hers, his words sparking humor.

“Kinky. Just make sure you keep me against it or else I’ll escape. Press me with your body or something.”

She was seeking his reaction and that’s exactly what she got. His strangled moan filled the space between them, causing her to grin widely, clearly satisfied with herself. Ethan ran his hands up the sides of her legs, coming to a stop at her hips, pulling her closer to him. She looked down at him, smirking slightly, before leaning into him, capturing his lips in a searing kiss. He hummed slightly, smiling at her as he got lost in the sensation.

A sharp knock on the door caused them to pull away but didn’t give them enough time to step away from each other, so when a person came in, Ethan’s arms were still wrapped tightly around her. First, he saw a white coat, then he saw long, brown hair, and he immediately knew who it was.

“Well, that was certainly not what I expected you to be doing.” A woman mused, looking between the pair with an unreadable expression. Claire stood up hastily, her cheeks flushed. Ethan stood up slowly, placing his hand on the small of Claire’s back to calm her down.

“It’s past my working hours, I can do whatever I please.”

“You sure can, just make sure you don’t break anything while you’re at it.” the woman flashed them both a smirk, causing Claire to blush even more. Ethan stepped forward, smiling softly.

“Claire, this is Harper Emery, Chief of medicine here. Harper, this is Clarissa Herondale-“

“Yes, I recall you telling me about her. As a matter of fact… ” Harper interrupted him, grinning with mischief as she approached Claire, leaning closer to her. “… he doesn’t shut up about you. So much so, that it’s getting a bit annoying.”

Claire’s mouth fell open as she smiled, looking at him teasingly. Ethan looked at the floor, trying to avoid her gaze, but the moment he felt her hand gripping his arm, he lifted his eyes to her, shrugging his shoulders.

“Is that so?” she spoke brightly, then turned to Harper, extending her hand towards her. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Claire. You’re definitely something else, I don’t remember him being so struck when we were together. His behavior now… that’s a first.” She wondered out loud, revealing the nature of their relationship, making Claire’s stomach twist with insecurity. Harper dropped her voice to a gentle whisper. “Take care of him.” and with that, she left the room.

Neither of them said a word for a long moment. For the most part, Claire was confused. Harper intimidated her, made her feel like she met a potential friend and a potential enemy at the same time. She waited for Ethan to say something, but it seemed as though he was at a loss of words.

There were a million of thoughts, running through his head. He didn’t plan for Claire to meet Harper that soon, and he definitely didn’t want her to find out that they dated from her. He tried to read Claire’s face, tried to figure out what was going on in that beautiful head of hers, but, as always, she was an enigma. He took a deep breath and reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together loosely.

“How are you feeling?” he muttered slowly, unsure how to proceed. She sighed, looking down at their joined hands.

“I’m not sure. I mean, I wasn’t ready to meet your ex today, and I guess I just… don’t know how what to think.” She answered quietly, her shoulders falling. He noticed it right away, and immediately knew what the reason for her foul mood was. Letting go of her hands, he embraced her hesitantly, giving her an option to push him away if she wanted. She didn’t, instead falling into his arms, groaning in frustration. “I’m sorry, I’m being ridiculous. I know that I shouldn’t feel that way, you’re probably thinking I’m acting like a child.”

“I don’t think you’re being immature if that’s what you’re worried about. I would however like to know what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours.” He muttered, pressing his lips to her hair.

“What else is new.” She grinned slightly, wrapping her arms around his middle, nuzzling into his chest. Silence fell upon them again, their bodies remaining in the same position for such a long amount of time that their balance started to falter, so instead of standing in one place, Ethan began gently swaying from side to side, pulling her along with him. He placed his hands on her hips, humming a song that sounded almost too familiar to her.

“What is that tune?” she asked, giggling a little as his lips brushed against her neck, tickling her.

“Frank Sinatra.” He responded, picking her up and twirling her around. Claire’s laughter rang in the air, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly.

“Why am I not surprised.” With her forehead resting against his collarbone, she took a deep breath, steadying herself for their conversation ahead. “Okay, let’s get to the point.”

She pulled him by his hand to the couch, pushing him lightly to sit down, and she went to sit down next to him, but he was faster, wrapping his arms around her waist and hauling her onto his lap. She squealed, stroking his cheek with her finger delicately when she was sitting safely in his embrace.

“I’m not sure what to think of Harper. She’s a beautiful woman and I don’t want you to jump in and start ensuring me that I have nothing to worry about and blah blah blah, I’m not like that… oh my god, I sound like such a teenager, please stop me now.” she sighed, stopping her rant for only a second, giving him absolutely no time to react or say anything. “Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I kinda want Harper to like me and I feel like we could be best goddamn friends, but I also feel like she is just… better than me?” she shrugged her shoulders, laying her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes, her breathing evening out as she let everything out. Ethan remained silent for the next few seconds before turning his head, guiding her lips to his, capturing them in a soft kiss that seemed to never end. By the time they came up for air, their breathing was elevated, and there was a goofy grin on her lips. “If you’re trying to reassure me, let me tell you that one, it’s kinda working but two, I’ll definitely need more convincing.”

“If you need me to kiss you to reassure you that you’re the one I want…” he dropped his voice to a deep, smooth whisper before kissing her again.

\---- ---- ----

One year later

\---- ---- ----

Ethan opened the door to his apartment with a sigh, the stress of a full day in the hospital leaving his body, leaving his muscles feeling light. He heard giggles in the living room, and was pretty sure it was Claire, most probably watching some silly TV show that made her giggle. Jenner greeted him, waggling his tail and walked with him as Ethan made his way further into his home. A sight that was waiting for him was not what he expected.

Claire was there, lying on the couch, covered by a blanket, what looked like an empty cup where tea used to be was on the coffee table. She was not alone, next to her was no other than Harper, laughing along with his wife, tears streaming down their faces.

“Do you want tissues? Food? A sedative?” he asked as he approached him, bending down to kiss Claire’s forehead tenderly. Harper snickered, pretending she’s puking.

“Every time I see you two being affectionate, I can’t believe it’s the same Ethan. I must congratulate and thank you, Claire, work has never been easier than it is now.” she punched Ethan’s shoulder playfully before he managed to take a step back.

“I don’t want it to seem like I’m kicking you out but-“

“You’re kicking me out.” She concluded, hugging Claire tightly before standing up.

“It’s been a long day and I want a quiet evening with my wife.” He justified, seeing the teasing smile sliding onto Harper’s face.

“Trust me, I get it. And hear me when I say, I don’t want to hear anything more about it.” she winked at Claire, making her way to the door. Just as she was about to walk out of their apartment, she called out to them. “Don’t break the bed!”

When they were alone, he hovered over her, his hands resting on her shoulders, massaging her slightly. She groaned, falling deeper into the couch, her eyes falling shut.

“How was your day?” she asked, patting a space next to her. He complied with her wishes, sitting down by her side, and then once more when she maneuvered him to lie down with his head on her lap, her fingers running through his hair.

“Long. Full of goddamn interns.”

“Yeah, I heard they are the _worst._ ” Claire trailed off playfully, thinking back to her own day, to her new friends, other interns, how much she had to stop herself from even thinking about touching Ethan, because even the mere thought of him made her weak. She knew he was going through the same struggle, which quickly became the main cause of jokes in their group of friends that consisted of them, Harper, Naveen, Zaid and Ines, all very much aware of the situation and very much aware of all the ways they could mess with the married couple, aware that Ethan and Claire wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing to defend themselves in the public setting.

“All I could think about for the whole day was how I was going to get home and pull you into my arms, carry you to our bedroom and throw you onto the bed, make you writhe against the mattress, say my name so many times it becomes etched into your mind…” he muttered, looking up at her with a smirk, his eyes impossibly dark. Claire groaned, biting down on her lower lip, her legs brushing against one another to provide any form of friction.

“You’re tired. Think you can keep up with me?” she challenged him, trailing a single finger down his jaw, along the column of his neck. He stood up, gathering her in his arms, walking towards their bedroom with confidence and in great hurry.

“Be cocky all you want, Rookie, you’re going to sing a different tune soon.”

She pressed her lips to his ear, moaning into it. “Let’s go break that bed.”


End file.
